Even though this year’s sci-fi flick Chappie may not have been anywhere near as poignant or impressive as director Neill Blomkamp‘s previous effort District 9, you can’t deny that the film has some unbelievable special effects.

Bringing the titular artificially intelligent robot to life is quite a feat, and it was done with a combination of visual effects and a live-action reference performance by Sharlto Copley. With Chappie arriving on Blu-Ray and DVD on June 16th, a short new featurette has popped up with some cool before-and-after shots of Copley acting on set in a body suit and battery pack placed side-by-side with the finished visual effects shot from the movie.

Check out the Chappie special effects wizardly after the jump! Read More »

This weekend, director Neill Blomkamp adds a new member to an exclusive club: movies with really cool robots. It’s a cross-section of movies big and small that drive the story forward with characters made of metal and wire. Sometimes they’re menacing, sometimes they’re hilarious, but the best movie robots are always unforgettable.

In honor of Blomkamp’s movie, Chappie, I’ve ranked my 25 favorite movie robots of all time. It wasn’t an easy task. There are so many subtle differences you have to consider. Is a cyborg a robot? Is an alien a robot? For example, Darth Vader is “more machine than man,” just like RoboCop. Are they both robots? In the end I went with my gut. If the character felt like a robot, or its robotic nature added something to the movie, it made the list. Also, this is (once again) a personal list. I didn’t grow up on Westworld or The Day the Earth Stood Still. I never really felt like Blade Runner‘s replicants were robots. So it’s a little weird and surprising but hopefully that’s why you want to check it out. Hit the jump to find out the 25 Best Movie Robots of All Time.

Following the Oscar-nominated District 9, Neill Blomkamp’s sophomore effort Elysium proved a major disappointment. Even Blomkamp himself knows it, and his recent admission that he “fucked it up” by pressing ahead with a script that “just wasn’t there” seemed like an encouraging step in the right direction.

But acknowledging your mistakes isn’t the same thing as figuring out how to avoid them. Unfortunately, Chappie indicates that, like the childlike protagonist that gives the film its name, Blomkamp still has a lot to learn. Read our full Chappie review after the jump. Read More »

The name Neill Blomkamp has been everywhere of late. He’s directing the nextAlien movie. He says he messed up his last movie. But the one thing that keeps getting lost in all of that talk is that he has a new movie out March 6, called Chappie. It’s the story of robot which gains consciousness, and appears to be infused with the director’s trademark social commentary, high-octane action and a big time cast.

We’ll have more on the film as release approaches but we’re excited to reveal some brand new images from Titan Books’ Chappie: The Art of the Movie. It’s out March 3 and is filled with concept art and behind the scenes images, many of which focus on Sharlto Copley‘s performance capture role as the lead character.

Below, check out brand new Chappie behind the scenes images. Read More »

One of the biggest films of the spring may be the latest sci-fi creator from Neill Blomkamp, Chappie. Starring Sharlto Copley, Hugh Jackman, Dev Patel and Sigourney Weaver, the film tells the story of an artificially intelligent robot which finds a place in human society. Buzz has been pretty solid on the film, which promises to combine action, drama and intelligence in a way that could only come from the mind of the director of District 9.

When a movie features robots, explosions, rap stars and giant mechs, you can be sure the Poster Posse is going to take notice. The online art collective has been making cool representations for several recent blockbusters: Guardians of the Galaxy, Interstellar, Big Hero 6, etc. and now they’re tackling Chappie. Check out the new Chappie posters below. Read More »

Last week, Sony released the new trailer for Neill Blomkamp‘s Chappie. For this film, the director of District 9 and Elysium is back with another tale about both the dangers and positive potential of technology. This time, the film stars Sharlto Copley (District 9) as a newly created artificially intelligent robot who has the potential to save, and to scare the world. Hugh Jackman, Sigourney Weaver and Dev Patel are among the co-stars.

The latest trailer was kind of divisive. There was plenty of cool action and an obvious focus on the emotion and characters of the film, but some felt that maybe it was all a bit much. Maybe Blomkamp was biting off more than he could chew. Would the slow motion action scenes feel right after spending time with a robot who is basically a small child? Would that growing up stuff fit in a movie where Hugh Jackman pilots a massive robot?

A new UK trailer has now been released and while it won’t answer those questions just yet, it definitely leans heavier on the emotional side of the film. Check out the UK Chappie trailer below. Read More »

This new Chappie trailer really makes Neill Blomkamp‘s latest film out to look like his own RoboCop. There’s the designer played by Hugh Jackman who is trying to push a new military/police technology, with a design that looks a lot like the ED-209. There’s the advent of a new drone police force, and the one who ends up with a more-human-than-robot consciousness. But is that just an easy sales pitch to hide the film’s true personality? Check out the trailer below and see if you can figure it out. Read More »

So what if January 1 is still a couple of weeks away? Get an early start on celebrating the New Year with this big batch of new photos from some of 2015’s most highly anticipated releases, including Jurassic World, Mad Max: Fury Road, Furious 7, Insurgent, Inside Out, The Walk, and Chappie.